The Implementation of "World Class Manufacturing" in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises

Download or read book The Implementation of "World Class Manufacturing" in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises written by Hassan Farsijani and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While the concept of what constitutes "World Class Manufacturing" has received considerable attention in the academic literature, it has been developed principally in relation to the needs of larger scale manufacturing organisations. Given that small and medium size enterprises make up the majority of manufacturing capacity in industrial economies there is a clear need for a rethink of the concept in order to make it relevant to their specific needs. Faced with a growing list of the elements needed for "World Class" manufacturing, the management of SME's appear faced with a daunting task There is a lack of awareness of the techniques of WCM in SMEs. However, by having realistic expectations and by maximising the potential of the techniques that are feasible, the management of SMEs can successfully implement an appropriate version of WCM. A preliminary model has been developed based on a number of SMEs that are trying to implement WCM. This model suggests that the concepts of WCM can be implemented in SMEs, and that the approach of gap analysis can be useful in helping the management in an SME identify the areas for improvement that should be given the highest priority. There would appear to be a close relationship between the size of an SME (and, hence, the stage of growth that it has reached), the nature of its market, and its own perceptions of that market and its needs. This will, in turn, affect the point in the development of an SME at which it becomes aware of the need to become "world class". The research provides a model of WCM in SMEs derived from the experiences of the companies that were studied. Further research is needed to confirm the wider application of this model.